Sunday, February 03, 2013

The Stubborn Stigma of Dementia: How to Cope

...Dad's dementia descended, full blown, overnight following a surgery.
This dignified intellectual, who made it his life's work to be
considerate and caring to others, was suddenly capable of becoming a
spectacle without at a moment's notice. When Dad was sleepy, and I was
wheeling him into the clinic, he was basically ignored. I could take him
to his appointments in the para-transit bus, they'd wheel him off and
I'd be on my own with dad, in the clinic. But a sleepy Dad was a quiet
Dad, so he didn't stir much interest.